Japan questions high-pressure corporate culture - Worked to death

In Japan, some employees are literally working themselves to death. Death from overwork – known as "karoshi" in Japanese – is a problem for one in five Japanese companies, according to the first government white paper on the issue.

The paper, released last month, shows that about 200 people die from overwork every year - mainly from heart attacks, strokes or suicide. But some Japanese think the government have not gone far enough. They want to see the official definition of karoshi expanded.

Now the families of victims are fighting to gain recognition of karoshi as a serious threat to the health of the nation's workforce. FRANCE 24 explores some of the social and corporate factors behind Japan’s culture of overwork.